Cong urges CM to call an all party meeting

Kolkata, Apr 25 (UNI) Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi today urged Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to call an all party meeting for increasing the minimum wages of the daily labourers in the state.

'' The Arjun Sengupta Committee report of the West Bengal government has shown a dangerous picture and the wage increase is a serious matter, and so without taking it as a prestige issue, the Chief Minister should call an all party meeting to increase the minimum wages of Rs 80 for the daily labourers, '' Mr Dasmunshi told newspersons here.

'' We are also urging the Left Front partners to look into the matter, '' he said.

The meeting could be held either before the Panchayat election or after that, Mr Dasmunshi stated.

'' We have already launched our campaign for the coming Panchayat election from Birbhum and tomorrow a meeting would be held at Panchla in Howrah district, where Somen Mitra, Pradip Bhattacharjee besides myself would be present, '' he said.

The party would organise a rally at Hasimara of North Bengal to observe the tea labourers' day on May one.

He said, '' As far as forming an alliance is concerned, we have not received any response from the higher level, but we are receiving good response from the lower level. '' To a query, he said the prices hike issue was of major concern, adding though the Left Front government was passing the buck on the UPA government at the Centre, the former could not wash its hands off and should bear the similar responsibility.